... the latest in what has become a procession of books about the Trump presidency, but there are reasons to think it arrives right on time.

... detail-rich.

... meticulously researched and beautifully written. Those who were in and around the West Wing talk and share documents. Baker and Glasser lay out receipts. They conducted more than 300 interviews. They met Trump at Mar-a-Lago..

... exquisitely timed. A well-paced and engagingly written narrative, The Divider shows off the best of big-resource journalism in the Trump era. Yet it also makes vivid some of the shortcomings of the industry that Trump repeatedly exploited.

With so many books about Donald Trump on the shelves and still more in the pipeline, how does a new one distinguish itself? In this case, it’s through the journalistic chops of coauthors Baker, the New York Times White House correspondent, and the New Yorker’s Glasser. There’s also the book’s heft: at more than 700 pages, it draws on information from hundreds of interviews (many, unfortunately, off the record) as well as written accounts, personal papers, and texts. For now anyway, The Divider is the definitive account of Trump’s White House years. Much of the story is, of course, known. Those who’ve avidly followed the twists, turns, and intrigues of the Trump administration will find plenty that’s familiar. Still, there are juicy surprises.

... comprehensive and scathing.

The authors are particularly good when they bring Melania Trump onto the stage.